FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Here we will do our best to answer all your questions about various aspects of our companies services, processes and fees, as well as other questions we might find the answers helpful for you.

What do you need in order to help us start our design process or to help us in changing some plan ideas?
How much will it cost to design the plans for our new home?
What if we want to make changes during the design of our new home?

Answer #1
We encourage our clients to sketch out their ideal floor plans and ideas in any manner they see fit. We will take those ideas and, if necessary, sketch them into floor plans prior to putting them into CAD. Many times if we are provided enough information and detail, we can start with the computer generated drawings much sooner.

Any pictures, or parts of homes you have seen that interest you, can easily be sketched, even in the roughest of forms in order for us to have a good starting point. (See "Our Design Tips") Click here or on left of all pages

Or, if it is more comfortable, you may set up a meeting with us and we will work together on the sketches, and develop the plans as we go along through the initial design process.
(Back to FAQ List)

Answer #2
The cost of each design will vary based mostly on size, but also exterior style, number of floors, location and City or State, (some areas require more information and work than others) as well as if there are extensive changes that need to be made throughout the design process. Since we specialize more in true custom tailored designs, we have developed a very extensive and detailed pricing sheet that we can send you upon request, or you may call us at anytime in order to get a quote or rough estimate.

Most Designs are based on a per square foot of home cost, with a couple additional fees for various other areas and additional items that may be needed.

If the design starts with or is for any of the plans shown in our products section, the pricing on these will vary differently and you should call for a quote. Even though at this time there are only a few plans shown on the site, we are working continually to add more plans of various design styles and sizes.
(Back to FAQ List)

Answer #3
There are certain known changes and revisions that will be necessary in order to design your plan and tailor it to meet your specific needs and living style. Many of these changes so to speak are built into the initial cost of the plan estimate, as it is rare that any design turns out exactly as one would wish on the first or second draft. With this in mind, we try to figure there will be 2 rounds of review/ draft plan minor revisions, then we will go on to the exterior views. The exterior views are treated in the same fashion, with 2 rounds of minor revisions prior to the final plans. The final plans will be produced once you have agreed to and signed off on the "preliminary design". (preliminary and final plan design differences discussed later in "Our plan process")

Keep in mind, the minor revisions will only go so far, if they become extensive or there is a request to make several additional rounds of changes for whatever reason, there will be some additional charges based on an hourly billing as explained in our "Design Pricing Sheet".
(Back to FAQ List)

Stock and Custom House Plans
consist of the following drawings:

(see our Typical Drawings page)

Elevations: Front elevation view will be drawn to 1/4" scale as well as Sides and rear elevations. or sides and rear elevations can be provided at 1/8" scale for a reasonable additional fee.

(It is actually easier to produce all drawings in 1/4" format, or an entire drawing in 1/2 scale, 1/8" on plans and 1/4" on details)
1/2 size drawings will be charged normal plan pricing with slightly reduced printing costs.

Foundation: Standard crawl space foundation plans are drawn with brick ledge symbol exterior (for masonry veneer) in block or concrete as market or consumer requires, at 1/4" scale. Foundation piers and footing placement are also shown in detail. Foundation vents, crawl space opening, anchor bolts, garage door and entry door openings will be shown and or noted appropriately also as necessary and required. Floor joist sizes will be noted and Girder locations will be provided. If a floor joist layout is to be provided, it will be at a reasonable additional fee and shown on separate sheets as construction drawings.

Standard Basement drawings are provided with either block or concrete shown as listed above, including brick ledge locations as required for masonry veneer locations, along with bearing posts and beams located. L.V.L. beams can be sized, however, steel beams must be sized by suppliers engineer or local certified engineer as many times a license stamp is required for permits. It is recommended that the actual manufacturers material supplier do proper engineering sizing on all beam materials including L.V.L. as many manufacturers products vary slightly in their structural capabilities.

NOTE: All foundation plan drawings have exterior dimensioning to outer most edge of wall with interiors showing structural items to center line and framing to edge of stud or interior block or concrete. If the basement is to be finished living space, their will be 2 separate plan sheets provided, one for structural members and one for framing only. (their will be additional fees for finished basement areas). Plumbing items will be shown as rough-in locations on structural basement plan.

Joist and Girder Plan: Each level of the floor plan will be drawn showing joist and girder placements for proper structural alignment and enabling ease of installation for plumbing and such items. If necessary, their may be a separate sheet for these items for clarity of plans.

Main Level Floor Plans: Drawn at 1/4" scale and providing all room measurements and structural information needed for construction, kitchen, laundry room and bathroom layouts are drawn to scale for proper placement of cabinetry and appliances. All dimensioning is done to outer edge of stud framing and center of openings on exterior, and to each side edge of stud framing on interior. If it is required, interior openings may be shown to edge or center line depending on location and need for clarification.

Second or Other Level Floor Plan: Drawn at 1/4" scale and providing the same measurements as lower level and aligning all joist and studding. Aligning load bearing points to distribute loads through to lower level bearing points or to footing. All dimensioning properties are done in the same manner as the main level.

Birds eye Roof Plan: Drawn at 1/4" scale and showing roof pitch slopes of various areas. Roof Framing plans like floor framing plans can be supplied at a reasonable additional fee.

Ceiling Joist Plan: Ceiling joist layout will be drawn to 1/4" scale providing placement and sizing, load bearing points and dimensional lengths. These will be charged a reasonable additional fee as again, the supplier is usually required to verify and supply these items based on his stocked materials.

Rafter/Truss Plan: Rafter layout will be drawn to 1/4" scale providing placement and sizing. These will be charged a reasonable additional fee as again, the supplier is usually required to verify and supply these items based on his stocked materials.

Detail Sheets: Included detail sheets will show numerous standard methods of construction including cut angles to comply with local requirements as well as many normal or standard details involving many types of construction methods used in today's framing and construction industry. Kitchen, laundry room, special cabinetry items as well as bath cabinet details will be shown on plans as to their size and location for ease of estimating purposes and construction.

NOTE: Additional cabinet, built-in and or closet detail elevations will only be drawn as required and their will be reasonable additional fees applied. This is due to the fact that most individuals and builders will seek the guidance of a professional cabinet/ closet design and/ or interior design individual from their local area or of their choice to do the details based on the actual materials they supply.

HVAC: Due to building code variations and contractor preferences these plans will not be provided by Holley & Associates, however, they should be provided by the manufacturers supplier based on structure size and geographical area requirements. We will provide the HVAC locations to the best of our ability based on floor plan layout and/ or chase requirements and locations.

Electrical Layout: This page will be drawn for suggested electrical layout of lighting, outlets and smoke detectors, based on minimum code requirements. There will be a flat fee per floor for these items. We suggest the supplier help with or supply the layout based on their standard pricing criteria, and then can consult and communicate what is in addition to their standard package pricing.

(Back to top)

Get schooled on architectural home styles

By: Arrol Gellner

October 17, 2003

When it comes to identifying home styles, most people know generic terms such as Victorian, Bungalow and Spanish. Really pegging the thing is a little tougher, though. Although more precise terms like Tudor, Mission and Craftsman are often casually thrown about—especially by real estate agents, who ought to know better—they're used wrongly more often than not.

Herewith are some of the most common points of confusion.

For starters, calling a house "Victorian" is like calling a car "postwar"—it only describes what era the thing was built in. Luckily, the four major styles of Victorians are easy to tell apart: If the house has horizontal siding, false cornerstones and windows with segmental arches, it's an Italianate. If it looks like an Italianate but also has a steep mansard roof, it's a Mansard. If it has a square bay window, skinny proportions, and a porch with lots of linear wooden gingerbread, it's a Stick (also called Eastlake). If it has windows with colored glass borders, a few curved walls or a turret, and a porch with lots of decorative spindles, you can bet it's a Queen Anne. Next category, please.

Bungalow is a generic term describing any home that's built close to the ground and has a low-pitched roof. More precisely, if a bungalow has wood siding or shingle (often with stone or clinker brick trim), it's a Craftsman Bungalow. If it has stucco on the outside, it's a California Bungalow.

The gaggle of labels hung on Spanish-style homes—Mission, Spanish Colonial, Churrigueresque, Moorish, Mediterranean—is another endless source of confusion. Strictly speaking, Mission refers only to architecture modeled on the West's Spanish Colonial missions, and would suggest a rather plain house with thick stucco walls, an Alamo-like scrolled gable and a few decorative barrel tiles, if not a whole roof full of them (for practical purposes, the term Spanish Colonial is essentially synonymous with Mission).

On the other hand, tile-roofed houses with more ornate features such as spiral columns and elaborate door and window surrounds are called Churriguersque, after the 17th-century Spanish Renaissance architect Jose Churriguera. Pointed or parabolic arches, ceramic tile accents, and perhaps castle-like crenellation would be clues that you were looking at a Moorish-style home. Of course, when in doubt, you're always safe using the term Mediterranean, which has come to include pretty much anything with red tile on the roof.

The terms Tudor, Elizabethan or Half-Timbered are often used interchangeably to describe English-inspired homes, but these terms don't mean the same thing. A Tudor-style house usually has brickwork combined with restrained half-timbering, steep gables, a massive and prominent chimney and relatively small windows sometimes topped by a pointed Tudor arch. By contrast, an Elizabethan-style home would have large areas of leaded windows divided into grids or into the familiar "Olde English" diamond pattern, along with lots of florid half-timbering in repeating motifs.

While both of the above examples might also be called "Half-Timbered," that term more properly refers to a building technique and not a style.

If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned any postwar home styles, it's because it takes quite a bit of time for style names to stabilize. Case in point: During the ‘60s, California Ranchers and split levels were routinely called "Contemporaries," as if they were going to stay in fashion forever. Today that term is all but forgotten.

Likewise, today's gewgaw-laden tract houses are often referred to as "neo-traditional," but that term is so vague that it's unlikely to survive.

Hence, it'll be a while before we know what posterity deems to call them.

(Back to top)

Allow plug-in to see clock

Click above to host with
the best. "We do"

Contact Local Sales

Contact
Local Sales

Local places &
Entertainment!
If your in the Carmel Westfield
Indiana area

For the finest in Mexican Cuisine
Located in Westfield and other
Indiana Locations
El Jaripeo
3020 State Road 32 E
Westfield, IN
(317) 867-1562
Map

Start your party right!

Contact; Thomas Law
about musical services

[ Home ] [ Feedback ] [ Contents ] [ Search ] [ Ethan James Holley ] [ Mark E Horner ]

This is a business Web, please respect this and DO NOT send SPAM - (See new policy in effect below)
Email policy: PLEASE NOTE: As of July 01 2006 all unsolicited email is forwarded to spam@uce .gov and http://www.spamcop.net/ based on the "new consumer protections in the federal CANSPAM statute".
Copyright © 2006 Holley & Associates Design LLC
Last modified: 04/28/08